THE recent local council elections in the United Kingdom were truly momentous as they established that the era of the two-party system in Britain is coming to an end. The anti-immigrant, and some would argue anti-Islam, right-wing Reform Party, led by populist Nigel Farage, has emerged as a winner. The results have created an existential threat to British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, may cost him his premiership, and are likely to shape the outcome of the next general elections in 2029. Among other factors, the disenchantment of British Muslims with the Labour Party under Starmer has significantly contributed to its recent electoral breakdown.

The results also highlighted the fractures within the British political landscape, which is rapidly becoming communalised, with loyalties being reconsidered, preferences reassessed, and alliances reshaped on the basis of identity. In this political realignment, British Muslims are also seeking a new political voice through independent politics based on non-alignment to any political party. For decades, a large majority of Muslims remained loyal to the Labour Party for its inclusive, pro-working-class stance. But the rise of the far right in the West has shifted the entire........

© Dawn